RFID Gazette

Tag readers used with communication devices allow for a greater degree of control on the happening during field work. A phone/reader can be used to scan items and transmit the information to a database. Additional information can be added by using the client software on the database. Thus, phone/readers can ensure an updated database that displays real-time information; provide proof of the completion of the job; improve customer service as faulty items are quickly identified; etc. RFID can be used to enable employees to log-in while on field duty, the tasks can be time-stamped, and the sequence of jobs can be monitored. nokiafieldforce.com reports:

Engineers can report the status of equipment in the field. Information, such as time-to-next-service, warranty period, upgrade history and revision details can be held in the tag and transmitted immediately to base, furnishing a real-time overview of equipment and, for example, accurate parts provisioning.

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The new rules that will enable the use of RFID-equipped electronic passports have raised concerns regarding the privacy of individuals. According to the State Department, the passport program will be trialed on government officials with official or diplomatic passports and will be implemented in October 2006 for all US citizens.

The electronic passports will improve security at the borders and facilitate quick identification thereby making international travel more secure. To ensure data security, the RFID tag can be read only with its cover open and that too by a special reader that is no more that four inches away. The passports use a Basic Access Control technology for managing the access to the chip. The front cover has a special anti-skimming material incorporated onto it to ward off attempts at reading it illegally. Also, each RFID chip is provided with a distinctive identification number. The chips cannot be used to track individuals. They will contain information such as name, nationality, sex, etc. The chips will not contain information such as Social Security Numbers and residence addresses that can be used to compromise privacy. A secure digital signature is included in the chips and its objective is to prevent alteration and removal of digital data.

The ICAO has set standards so that passports from countries all over the world are interoperable. Specifications include a minimum storage capacity of 32 KB for the electronic passports; however, US passports will have twice as much as storage capacity to accommodate biometric information obtained from fingerprints and iris scans in future. The passports will be printed by private companies; the existing passports will be replaced as they are renewed. Of the 57 million passports in circulation, around 8 million are renewed annually. The passports will cost $ 97, with $ 55, $ 12, and $ 30 being the application fees, security surcharge, and processing fee, respectively.

According to Analysys International, which is a China-based online information provider on media, technology, and telecom industry, the RFID market in China will grow at a complex annual growth rate of 33.2% and will exceed 5 billion RMB by 2009. It has highlighted six key factors (6P) that will drive the growth of RFID in China. These include price, performance, protocol, policy, pioneer, and privacy. China’s growth as key manufacturing center is going to play an important role in the development of the RFID industry. ccmsectorinvest.com reports:

According to Analysys International's study, the fields of RFID applications in China 2005 showed that government support and promotion is the prime factor for rapid development of the RFID market in China.

Read More: Analysys International Predicts China's RFID Market Will Exceed 5 Billion RMB by 2009

Research and Market has published a report "RFID Industry-A Market Update". The report includes trends and forecasts for the RFID sector. The market has been represented for different geographical areas. ccmsectorinvest.com reports:

The demand for RFID Systems is ever increasing. The report discusses the RFID Industry figures to go up from US $1.95 billion in 2005 to $26.9 billion in 2015. The RFID vendors are increasingly gaining from the sale of RFID hardware components.

Read More: RFID Market Expands From $1.95 Billion in 2005

Printronix Inc., which is one of the foremost manufacturers of supply-chain printing solutions, has launched its patented MP2 RFID Smart encoding technology. The technology fulfills the EPCglobal Gen 2 encoding specifications. rfidupdate.com reports:

Printronix leverages this technology in its SmartLine product families and introduces a six-inch RFID printer as well. With this, the new SL5000r(TM) MP2 and SLPA7000r MP2 become the first RFID printer and printer applicator families designed to Gen 2 encoding specifications.

Read More: Printronix Launches True Gen 2 Printing With New MP2 RFID Smart Encoding Technology

As is the case with disruptive technologies, RFID too seeks to highlight drawbacks in the current processes thereby creating opportunities to establish new business models that will employ RF-enabled sensors and global sensor networks. The progress of RFID is currently stymied by the absence of global standards and the rapid rate at which the technology is evolving is preventing widespread adoption. rfidupdate.com reports:

The most interesting innovation will come not from a better and easier-to-use barcode nor from the increased capacity to track objects. It will come from using these capabilities to solve business process problems and to create new business.

Read More: RFID as an Innovation Catalyst

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. will introduce contactless credit cards, referred to as “blink”, in the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. The cards employ an RFID chip and will be initially provided to two million customers in the New York metropolitan area and 900,000 customers in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The cards will be accepted at 7-Eleven, AMC Theatres, CVS, Duane Reade, etc.

The blink cards can be used with Visa and MasterCard. The trials have drawn a positive response from users who approve of the security provided by not having to relinquish possession of the cards as there is no swiping involved. The time savings occur due to quick checkouts and reduced transaction times in a drive-thru environment.

EPCglobal Inc and shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk will participate in an RFID-enabled supply chain pilot in Asia. This is a significant first for the maritime industry. The project is expected to bolster security at US customs and at the border crossings between South China and Hong Kong. The project is expected to continue till December 2006 and its results will be published the next year. EPCglobal, the Hong Kong government, and Maersk will sponsor the project. Maersk is implementing RFID in its network of warehouses to in order to reduce the paperwork involved in shipping goods to its clients such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Metro Group AG.

Shrinkage as a result of theft and diversion of products to another destination without intimation to the supplier amounts to around 3% of the total goods shipped every year. RFID tagging should also help to counter the imitators who impact global trade to the tune of $ 350 billion every year. informationweek.com reports:

"Active RFID tags equipped with door intrusion, light and temperature sensors were put on containers filled with children’s toys and electronics goods at a factory in China," he said. "Our technology tracked the cargo from the Port of Yantian to the Port of Long Beach, and then to a distribution center outside of Los Angeles."

Read More: Maritime Industry Next Up To Catch RFID Wave

Passports in the US are to be biometrically-enabled as per the new rules laid down by the US State Department. The pilot will be initiated in December and the passports will be issued from October 2006. The exercise is a part of a larger objective to improve internal security. ICAO has developed the biometric standards that the system will follow. ccmsectorinvest.com reports:

In order to counter fears that the chipped passports will allow holders to be tracked or to fall prey to identity thieves, the State Department has announced that the covers of the passport will contain an anti-skimming device to block casual access. It also proposes a security system that will ensure that the chips only provide the data to recognised readers.

Read More: Rules for RFID chips in US passports

According to the report RFIDentifying a Way To Make a Better Airplane released by AMR Research last week, the initiative by Boeing to tag maintenance significant parts for the 787 Dreamliner aircraft could determine the policies of its suppliers and sub-suppliers toward RFID. The specifications for the tag that Boeing desires include a high-storage, metal-mountable passive tag that is sturdy and has been tested for changes in temperature and pressure. These specifications will provide an impetus for the chip manufacturers to develop a product that satisfies the preconditions set by Boeing. The initiative provides the suppliers an opportunity to build better and long-term relations with Boeing.